Annie Specht of Columbus is the winner of the 2018 Ohio Farm Bureau Young Ag Professionals Discussion Meet. The annual contest tests participantsí subject knowledge, problem solving abilities and personal and small group communications skills.

Specht won a $1,000 cash award from Nationwide Insurance, an expense-paid trip to the 2018 Ohio Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Columbus and an expense-paid trip to the 2019 American Farm Bureau Annual Convention in New Orleans, where she will represent Ohio in the national Discussion Meet competition.

Specht, a Tuscarawas County Farm Bureau member, is an assistant professor of agricultural communication at Ohio State University. She is a member of the American Association for Agricultural Education, North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture and the Association for Communications Excellence. She earned two bachelorís degrees and a masterís degree in agricultural and Extension education at Ohio State University and her doctorate in agricultural leadership, education and communications at Texas A&M University.

The other finalists in the contest were Casey Ellington of Louisville, Jacob Hoelscher of Osgood and Seth Middleton of Sidney. The final round of the competition was held during Ohio Farm Bureauís Young Agricultural Professionals Winter Leadership Conference Feb. 2 in Columbus.

The Discussion Meet is hosted by Ohio Farm Bureauís Young Agricultural Professionals Ė singles and married couples ages 18 to 35 who are interested in improving the business of agriculture, learning new ideas and developing leadership skills. To learn more about the Discussion Meet and the Young Ag Professionals program, visit experienceyap.com.